Pro-Government Militias
Provincial and Village Militia (Cambodia)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 236 |
| Country: | Cambodia |
| Date formed: | June 22, 1981 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | In 1998 there were demands to disarm the provincial and village militias. In 1999, a news source reports that the Cambodian armed forces are under pressure for alleged human rights abused, and the provincial and village militias were included as being responsible for those. This news source article of 1999 was the last source that mentioned the group, though no news source explicitly stated that the group was terminated. |
| Termination Type(s): | none |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | unclear |
| Government Link(s): | political party |
| If link to party, name of party: | Cambodian People's Party |
| Training and Equipment: | unclear |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; Foreign government |
| State Sponsor(s): | Vietnam |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | village/rural |
| Primary Membership: | local |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Kompong Speu province, Kompong Thom Province, around Phnom Penh |
| Force Strength: | [100000, 200000] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; self-defense and security; intelligence gathering |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The provincial and village militia served several purposes. In 1984 a news source mentions that they guarded infrastructures. Later, evidence suggest that they were used against the Khmer Rouge for counter-operations and intelligence gathering. In 1998, a news source reports that they were used by the CPP to intimidate voters. Relative benefits included that group members were living with their families and had a self-interest in fighting against the Khmer Rouge in case of an attack. Due to their local existence, they were also especially well-fit for gathering intelligence on possible infiltrations of the villages. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | knowledge |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The provincial and village militia has been accused of election-related human rights abuses, including threatening of civilians at gunpoint and beatings. They are considered to be among the worst violators of human rights in Cambodia. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | beating |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | A news source from April 1989 speaks of 100,000 members of the provincial and village militias. In June 1989 a source mentions that it is difficult to estimate the strength of the Cambodian army, including the militia units. It says that there were around 60,000 men but more could be summoned as needed. In November 1989, another news source mentions 200,000 civilians to be members of village militias. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The militias are equipped with rifles, including M-16 rifles. They received arms from the government and were trained by the Vietnamese, although the degree of training and equipment varies. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | During Vietnamese occupation, the provincial and village militia was under Vietnamese organisation and control. Later, they were controlled by the CPP (Cambodian People’s Party) of Prime Minister Hun Sen. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.